Morning journal and courier., 1887-08-04
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM Making Little HeadWay
 Under Cleveland.
 CURTIS ALMOST IN DESPAIR. The Tories Building Hopes
 On Time. 4 DEADLY PLAGUE IN CHINA. | New York Yachts At New |
 London.
NOT GROWING MUCH IN FAVOR,

A NOT GROWING MUCH IN FAVOR. CIvII Service Reform Has a Hard Roa
 To TraveI-George William Curti
 Discusses the Question Before tn
 National League.
 NEWPORT, R. l., Aug. 3.-The annuf
 meeting of the National Civil Service Reforr
 league was held this morning at 10:30 at tn . Charming Memorial church, which was wei o filled with members of the league and prom
 inent people of local and summer society 1 Many ladies were in attendance and listened 1 with interest to the eloquent address by Hon George William Curtis, president of tn
 league, with which the meeting opened.
 Opening with quoting remark of Abra
 ham Lincoln about the power of public senti I ment, MT. Curtis proceeding said:
 The movement of public sentiment may
 be measured in many ways, especially in thu discussions of the press and in public speech
 es. Until the pension Tetoes and the recent orders in regard to the return of rebel flags
 partisan hostility to the present administra
 tion expressed itself chiefly in censure of its | failure to conform to absolute standard oi
 reform-a conformity, however, which the
 wherever it has control. This cen-
 sure and the continuous discus
 sion imply, and imply justly, q
 general and profound interest in the subject.
 The division in the administration party
 which is obvious and undeniable springs
 from the same question and is another strik-
 ing illustration of it's strong hold upon the public mind. Moreover, the possible success
 of the Democratic party in the election of
 next year undoubtedly depends upon it's re- nomination of the President, who is identi- tified in the public mind with the cause of
 reform; and it is equally beyond question
 that if the President should formally re- nounce the reform principles that he has de- I cIared and which he honestly cherishes, and
 should frankly announce that the general political reconstruction of the civil service 1 which regret to say has taken place under | his administration is due to change of con- 1 viction upon his part in favor of the spells | system, he would ba abandoned by so large | body of citizens es to bring his reelection | into serious peril.
 These are all unmistakable signs of the ! rapid growth of public sentiment friendly ! to reform But it is important to get the true opinion of authorities on fine subject, not the utterances of politicians who have an axe to grind. It 1 is gratifying to note that men of the right { stamp coincide in the thought that corrup- tion in politics is what is threatening the na- tion's prosperity most. Sir Robert Walpole gave the English nation peace, prosperity and good rate of interest, but coupled with it fragrant political corruption, upon which nothing but the lofty courage of Chatham saved the naClon MT CurtlS HOW pOlnIeu 10 the recent trial of Sharp az a striking in- stance of the corruption which calls for re- form.
 MT. Bishop in an address to the Common wealth club in New York last March tells us that in every general election in that city about $70O, 900 are spent Of this amount the city contributes for legal expenses $780, 900, and of the remaining S410,000 about S2OO, 900 are obtained from assessments upon candidates, upon oficeholders and of the party. Mr. Bishop specifies, challenged, some of the assessments. can- didate for the mayoralty is assessed from $25 to $50, 900, judges in the Supreme court and the Common Pleas from $10 to 5000, reg ister from $15 to $40, 1000, comptroller, sheriff and county clerk s10,000, district attorney and members of the State assembly from $500 to S1 ,000. The nomination to these offices is thus publicly sold. There is an understanding that many of the buyers not only will reimburse themselves, but will gladly pay the amount of the assessments for the pecuniary value of the opportunities of the.ofice. This is situation which is not less alarming because It is familiar. A republic has no charm to stay the eternal laws. No COT porate power can bribe them; no marvellous inven- ton outrun them; no splendor of material prosperity can dazzle them. Speaking of the true welfare of States, George Mason, of Virginia said: "By an inscrutable chain of causes and effects providence punishes na- tional sins by national calamities." But in the situation with which we are familiar the startling fact is not so much the corruption az the spirit which accepts corruption as necessary in politics, and which ridi- cules vigorous protest and resolute action against it as 8 Fharisaic cant, and derides the man who insists upon honesty in public life
 oI,o I0 sneaking hypocrite who is holding out to sell himself for higher price, ''Is there no remedy for these evils!' asks ex-Governor Hoadly in his address few weeks ago at the Dartmouth centennial of the Phi Beta Kap- pa The difficulty is to convince the Ameri- | can people of the need of remedial action. Once awaken the conscience of the people to wrong and they will correct it.
 MT. Curtis now assailed the action of the Massachusetts legislature dispensing with examination for appointment to State or city office, as far as old soldiers or sailors of the war are concerned, and maintained strongly that this was blow dealt reform in the Bay State. Also in the State of New York, the only State besides Massachusetts in which l the reformed system is established by law, it 1 is authoritatively reported that the Demo cratic governor has asked for the resignation of the State civil service commission. Here was another evidence of something radically ] wrong. The special committee of the league in its report in March expressed partly plea l sure and partly disappointment as regards | President Cleveland's attitude and course re- garding civil service reform, and concluding said The future action of the administration l upon this subject, therefore, will be watched 1 with profound interest as determining the l final public judgment of it's relation to civil service reform.
 Mir. Curtis reminded his hearers that his reform party was unidentified with Cleve- I,,1 o1oI AoI1 to his course from civil service reform standpoint. Aftsr two and a half years of Cleveland the standpoint is unchanged. Viewing those two and half years, MT. Cur tis decides that in a survey of the whole ser vice there has been almost as complete change was practicable, since an entirely new force of totally inexperienced officers would have prevented the regular transac- tion of the public business.
 MT. Curtis here cited the figures as to re- movals from office and new appointments and adds: At the same rate of change for the next two years the entire body of post- masters would be, with very few exceptions, politically changed, and with the postmas- tsrs all the employees dependent upon them.
 Practically repeat therefore there has been very general partisan reconstruction of the national civil service. But while such change was the undoubted desire and expectation of a large and important part of the supporters of the President at the polls, I do not believe that it was desired or antici- | pated by the intelligent sentiment of the | country.
 MT. Curtis feared that with a return of the | Republican party to power another sweeping ! change in the public service would ensue. 1 He accorded to Cleveland the same sincerity 1 of purpose which he attributed to Grant, wiz, l Q desire to correct the evils of patronage if | possible. But, like Grant, Cleveland had | been swept away from his moorings of con | viction by his party. Even MT. Lincoln did ] not venture to outrun what he held to be 1 public sentiment nor risk great cause by | what he thought to be premature action. | When Mr. Sumner urged and argued Mr. | Lincoln said cheerfully: "Go on; am only | six weeks behind you"
 Whatever may be our disappointment we | are bound to be just and give Cleveland his | due. It was once my duty to say to Presi- | dent Grant that the adverse pressure of the | Republican party would overpower his pur- | pose of reform He replied with smile that | he was used to pressure. He smiled incred- | ulously, but he presently abandoned reform. l
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